Thanks, this is a very interesting insight. The religions of our Founding Fathers were of the hard scrabble, “the Lord helps those who help themselves” Protestant types.
It was also very accommodating to reason and enlightenment. Compare the expansion in political thought in Britain after the Reformation and prior to the American Revolution to the Papal oppression which kept Italy divided into city states until 1849 or thereabouts.
Not to mention Baron de Montesquieu, a man who’s ideas were embraced by a significant number of Founding Fathers but were banned by the Church of Rome.
I am reminded of a line from Elizabeth: The Golden Age, to paraphrase:
“The Inquisition lies in the belly of that ship.”
It is remarkable how a single glance can open one’s eyes!